Sultans of Satire in Annual Arab Culture Show

The United Arab Society at UCLA presents its Annual Arab Culture Show featuring a live performance by the Sultans of Satire, with Mike Batayeh and Noel Elgrably. Join the general public and UCLA students for a night of Arab music, poetry, dance, theater and comedy—the largest event of the year put on by members of the United Arab Society who have been rehearsing for months.

This year—in light of recent events of the Middle East—the theme is Hurriya. It's Arabic for freedom! The centerpiece is our skit, which is full of laughs but also some messages about our beautiful culture. And this year, we have a special guest performance by the critically-acclaimed Sultans of Satire comedy group!

The Hurriya show serves as a welcoming space for Arabs and non-Arabs alike to come together for a night of provocative entertainment—Arab style. Admission is free. Refreshments and Arab desserts will be served. Donations are welcome.

Parking in Structure 6. For more information, email us at arabs@ucla.edu, or join us on Facebook (search United Arab Society at UCLA).

The Sultans of Satire: Middle East Comic Relief from Levantine Cultural Center is the world's longest-running Middle Eastern comedy show featuring both men and women comedians of multiple faith traditions. First launched in 2005 in Los Angeles, the Sultans of Satire have performed nationally for audiences of up to 1200!

Comedian Mike Batayeh

Mike Batayeh is Detroit native of Jordanian parents. A professional working actor, comedian and writer, he has guest starred on numerous TV shows for all major networks and was most notably recurring guest star on the critically acclaimed Showtime series, Sleeper Cell. Mike has also appeared in several films along with such stars as Hugh Grant, Denis Quaid, Tony Shaloub and Adam Sandler. As a comedian, Mike has traveled the States and abroad and performed in many notable comedy clubs and theater venues, including The Comedy Store, Improv, Laugh Factory, Comix, Gotham, and The Icehouse. Mike has brought his unique and ever evolving style of comedy to overseas audiences in such places as Dubai, where he filmed a comedy special for Showtime Arabia, and Jordan, for the first annual Amman Comedy Festival and was invited to perform at the festival the following year. Beirut, Egypt and Nazareth. He has been a mainstay in the Sultans of Satire since 2006 and also performed in the "Axis of Evil Comedy Tour" and the New York Arab American Comedy Festival. Visit his site.

Comedian Noel ElgrablyNoel Elgrably is the son of a French-Moroccan father and Moroccan-Israeli mother. He calls himself Sephardic-"a concoction of an Arab, a Jew and a Hispanic all rolled into one-a cultural train wreck." Noel grew up in the nation's capital, where he studied criminology and dreamt of being an FBI agent. He later left his day-job selling insurance to pursue his calling as a stand-up comedian in Los Angeles. As an Arab Jew he offers an original comedic perspective on growing up as a child of immigrants below the Mason-Dixon line. He can be seen performing regularly at Los Angeles-area comedy clubs such as The World Famous Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, The Improv, and The Icehouse. He has opened for the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, is a regular cast member of the Sultans of Satire: and has appeared on Fox TV. He has also performed in the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and the Middle East Comedy Festival in Los Angeles. Visit his web site.